Strap fastener



y 10, 1966 M. B. RUMANER 3,249,975

STRAP FASTENER Filed April 9, 1964 INVENTOR. MERWIN B. RUMANER United States Patent This invention relates generally to strap fasteners or buckles, and has particular reference to an improved construction for buckles that are required to have great holding power.

In certain applications, buckles for securing the ends of a strap together-are subjected to heavy strains, the buckles that are used inconnection with ski bindings being an example. While some buckles having the required holding power are presently available, most are quite complicated structurally and thus are relatively expensive to manufacture.

The primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to. provide a strap buckle that has extemely good holding power and also a very simple, compact construction.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a buckle with superior holding ability that can be manufactured relatively inexpensively.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a buckle of the character described that is strong and durable.

Still another important object of the invention is to provide a buckle of the character described wherein a strap can be quickly and easily engaged with or release from the buckle.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of a buckle embodying the invention with one end of a strap secured thereto;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the buckle of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the buckle without straps;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the buckle in operative strap fastening position;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of a slightly modified form of the buckle;

FIGURE 6 isa fragmentary top plan view of an alternative form of the buckle; and

FIGURE 7 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 77 of FIGURE .6.

Having reference now to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers designate the same part in each of the views, the buckle of the invention includes a substantially rectangular tongue plate 10 having a toothed or serrated edge 12 at one end. The opposite end of the tongue plate is rolled back upon itself to form a closed, substantially tubular mounting loop 14 'in' which a pair of quadrangular loops or frame members 16, 18 are journalled. Formed integrally with the tongue plate 10 is a strap retaining finger or hook 20 which projects upwardly from one edge of the plate and then is bent so that it overlies the plate in spaced, substantially parallel relation thereto as best shown in FIGURES 1 and 3.

Both of the frame members 16, 18 can swing freely relative to the tongue plate, and member 16 is dimensioned so that it surrounds the major portion of the plate when the parts are positioned as shown in FIG- URES l3. As indicated, there is a small clearance between the free end of frame member 16 and the toothed edge of plate 10, which clearance must be less than the thickness of the strap with which the buckle is used.

Frame member 18 is'smaller than member 16 and normally extends from mounting loop 14 in the opposite 3,249,975 Patented May 10, 1966 direction. One of the strap ends 22 is secured to frame member 18 in a more or less permanent manner so that the buckle remains fastened to the member whether the other strapend is engaged with the buckle or not. The strap end 22 can be formed with a slit 23 as shown so that it can be secured to the frame member by being passed around one side thereof and back through the slit in a manner well known in the art. Alternatively, the strap end can be passed around the frame member and then secured to itself by rivets or other conventional means, not shown. p

In using the buckle to fasten the strap ends together, the other or free strap end 24 is passed upwardly between the free end of frame member 16 and the toothed edge 12 of tongue plate 10, see FIGURE 4, andthence over the top of the tongue plate and engaged beneath the retaining finger 20. The strap end 24 is pulled as tightly as desired after it has been passed between the frame member and tongue plate, and when it is thereafter bent over the top of the tongue plate the opposite forces on the straps (indicated by the arrows F) cause the toothed edge of the tongue plate to bite into the strap and prevent any slippage. Thus, after the strap end 24 has been bent over the top of the tongue plate the force F on the strap tends to pull the tongue plate downwardly into the plane of the frame member '16 (FIGURE 4) and this forces the toothed edge 12 into tighter engagement with the strap due to the fact that the clearance between the toothed edge and free end of frame member 16 is less than the strap thickness. The result is, therefore, that the holding power of the buckle increases as the forces tending to disengage the straps increase.

In the buckle holding action described just above the Thus, in

location of the retaining finger 20 is important. locating the finger between the mounting loop 14 and toothed edge 12 it is necessarily close enough to the latter to cause the strap end to be bent quite sharply over the top of the tongue plate and this greatly reduces the possibility of slippage because it ensures firm engagement between all portions of the toothed edge and the strap. It should be noted also that the overlying finger 20 extends less than the full distance across the tongue plate, which facilitates positioning the strap end thereunder after it has been engaged by the toothed edge 12.

The swingable or pivotable connection between frame member 18 and the tongue plate is important since it permits the straps to extend in whatever direction may be required for the use to which they are being put without having the strap 22, for example, acton the tongue plate in a manner that would reduce the effectiveness of the holding action at the other end of the plate.

In FIGURE 5 there is shown a slightly modified form of the invention wherein a third quadrangular frame member 26 is swingably connected to the free end of frame member 16 as by a closed tubular loop 28. Frame member 26 can be used when the portion of the strap end 24 that extends beyond the retaining finger 20, after the strap has been engaged with the buckle, is relatively long. In such case the strap end can be folded back on itself, over the top of the retaining finger, and then passed through frame member 26 so that it extends back along strap 24 in overlying relation thereto. This reduces the possibility of the end of the strap catching on something and at the same time provides a neater appearance. In the FIGURE 5 modification, the clearance between the toothed'edge 12 of the tongue plate and the loop 28 is also less than the thickness of the strap with which the buckle is used.

FIGURES 6 and 7 disclose an alternative construction of the buckle wherein the frame member 16" cannot swing above the tongue plate 10' although it can still swing freely below it. To this end, the toothed edge 12' of the plate partially overlies the free end of the frame member as shown, the toothed edge 12' having a slight inward bevel from its upper to lower side in this modification.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the invention provides a very simple and compact strap fastener having a high degree of holding power. As will be understood by those familiar with the art, the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The embodiments disclosed are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative rather than restrictive, the'scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A buckle for securing the ends of a strap together comprising a substantially rectangular tongue plate having a toothed edge at one end thereof, said plate being rolled back upon itself at its other end to form a closed tubular mounting loop, a first open quadrangular frame member swingably mounted at one end in said loop, the free end of said frame member being cooperable with the toothed edge of said tongue plate to clamp one end of the strap therebetween, the clearance between said frame member free end and the toothed edge being less than the thickness of the strap, a single strap retaining finger located on said tongue plate between the mounting loop and toothed edge thereof, said finger being spaced above said plate to overlie said strap end after it has been engaged by said tongue plate toothed edge whereby the strap end is caused to bend sharply around the edge in tight engagement therewith, and a second open quadrangular frame member swingably mounted in said mounting loop for securing the other strap end to the buckle in a normally non-releasable manner, said first frame member being substantially larger than said second frame member.

2. A buckle as defined in claim 1 together with a third open quadrangular frame member swingably connected to the free end of said first frame member.

3. A fastener for securing a pair of strap ends together comprising a substantially rectangular tongue plate having a toothed edge at one end thereof, said plate being bent back upon itself at its other end to form a closed tubular mounting loop, a first quadrangular frame member swingably mounted at one end in said loop, the other end of said frame member being adapted to cooperate with said tongue plate so that a strap end that is passed between the frame endand said toothed edge is pressed into tight engagement with the latter, a strap retaining finger on said tongue plate adjacent the toothed edge thereof, said finger being arranged to overlie said strap end after it has been engaged by said toothed edge thereby causing the strap end to be bent sharply around the edge so that said tight engagement is effected, and a second quadrangular frame member swingably mounted in said mounting loop and normally extending therefrom in a direction opposite to that of said first frame member, said second frame member being adapted to have the other strap end secured thereto.

4. A strap buckle comprising a substantially rectangular tongue plate one end of which is adapted to engage the terminal portion of a strap, said plate having slip resisting means at said one end, said plate being rolled back upon itself at its other end to form a closed mounting loop, a pair of open quadrangular frame members each having a side pivotably journalled in side-by-side relation in said mounting loop, one of said frame members being dimensioned with respect to said tongue plate so that the strap terminal portion can be clamped betwen the member and plate, said one frame member being cooperable with the plate for pressing the slip resisting means of the latter into engagement with the strap terminal portion, and a strap retaining finger on said tongue plate adapted to overlie said strap terminal portion after it has been engaged with said slip resisting means, said finger causing said strap portion to be bent sharply around said slip resisting means whereby a tight engagement between the portion and resisting means is effected, the other of said frame members being adapted to have another strap terminal portion secured thereto whereby the' buckle is operable to fasten two strap terminal portions together.

References (Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 886,029 4/1908 Andrews 24-179 1,178,024 v4/ 1916 Nettleton 24-188 FOREIGN PATENTS 542,424 5/ 1922 France. 958,539 9/1949 France.

37,873 12/1886 Germany.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

E. SIMONSEN, Assistant Examiner. 

4. A STRAP BUCKLE COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR TONGUE PLATE ONE END OF WHICH IS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE TERMINAL PORTION OF A STRAP, SAID PLATE HAVING SLIP RESISTING MEANS AT SAID ONE END, SAID PLATE BEING ROLLED BACK UPON ITSELF AT ITS OTHER END TO FORM A CLOSED MOUNTING LOOP, A PAIR OF OPEN QUADRANGULAR FRAME MEMBERS EACH HAVING A SIDE PIVOTABLY JOURNALLED IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION IN SAID MOUNTING LOOP, ONE OF SAID FRAME MEMBERS BEING DIMENSIONED WITH RESPECT TO SAID TONGUE PLATE SO THAT THE STRAP TERMINAL PORTION CAN BE CLAMPED BETWEEN THE MEMBER AND PLATE, SAID ONE FRAME MEMBER BEING COOPERABLE WITH THE PLATE FOR PRESSING THE SLIP RESISTING MEANS OF THE LATTER INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE STRAP TERMINAL PORTION, AND A STRAP RETAINING FINGER ON SAID TONGUE PLATE ADAPTED TO OVERLIE SAID STRAP TERMINAL PORTION AFTER IT HAS BEEN ENGAGED WITH SAID SLIP RESISTING MEANS, SAID FINGER CAUSING SAID STRAP PORTION TO BE BENT SHARPLY AROUND SAID SLIP RESISTING MEANS WHEREBY A TIGHT ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE PORTION AND RESISTING MEANS IS EFFECTED, THE OTHER OF SAID FRAME MEMBERS BEING ADAPTED TO HAVE ANOTHER STRAP TERMINAL PORTION SECURED THERETO WHEREBY THE BUCKLE IS OPERABLE TO FASTEN TWO STRAP TERMINAL PORTIONS TOGETHER. 